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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22925269">Ages Ago</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pen_n_Notebook/pseuds/Pen_n_Notebook'>Pen_n_Notebook</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood &amp; Manga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Regression/De-Aging, Gen, Missions Gone Wrong, Young Riza Hawkeye, Young Roy Mustang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:22:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,332</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22925269</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pen_n_Notebook/pseuds/Pen_n_Notebook</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After a mission gone wrong Mustang and Hawkeye turn into children with no memory of their team members or their adult lives. Ed and Al search for a way to bring them back using alchemy. In the mean time, it up to Havoc, Breda, Fuery, and Falman to babysit two very scared and confused children. The team learn more about Mustang and Hawkeye's childhoods than they ever expected.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ages Ago</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Alchemy doesn't actually work this way, but let's pretend it does.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On any other day Edward Elric would have resented being dragged into one of Colonel Bastard’s missions. </p><p>“<em> There’s a tiny town in the country growing alchemically enlarged potatoes, check it out, Fullmetal … Someone claims their neighbor’s cat is preforming alchemy, look into it –– no Alphonse, no need to bring back the animal… There’s another deranged killer, stop him without tearing apart the city, Fullmetal … blah, blah, blah…. I’m important because I shoot fireballs out of my ass … blah, blah … figure it out yourself, I’m too busy ogling my Lieutenant … blah, blah, blah…” </em></p><p>As much as Ed wanted to complain today he held his tongue. From the brief summary Fuery gave him and Al over the phone two days ago, real lives were in danger. Young innocent lives at that. He and Al jumped on the first train back to East City in order to aid the colonel’s team against another alchemical threat. </p><p>Ed resisted pacing the length of the office and stopped himself from growling under his breath. Mustang’s team were wasting time if those kids were really in danger. They should have stopped the psycho by now, but they weren’t even out of the office yet. If he and Al had been given all the details they probably could have rescued the kids by now. </p><p><em> But noooooo. Colonel Bastard wanted to take credit for the rescue, </em>Ed thought bitterly. </p><p>“Soon, Brother.” Al whispered in reassurance.  </p><p>It didn’t help. Patience wasn’t a familiar virtue to Ed, so he crossed his arms over his chest and sighed as the rest of Mustang’s team prepared for fieldwork. </p><p>As slow as the wait felt, the rest of the team moved quickly while the room buzzed with energy. </p><p>Hawkeye stood behind her desk preparing her weapons. Five guns total. She loaded each with steady hands before clicking on the safety mechanism and putting an extra box of rounds in the pocket of her belt holster. Not that it would be needed, hopefully. </p><p>The Colonel’s assessment that all the children in custody of the rogue alchemist could be saved relied on the team apprehending their target quickly. Ideally, Hawkeye could do it with one bullet. She never planned for the best case scenario. </p><p>Hawkeye’s preferred handgun went on her waist for the quickest draw, two on the underarm holsters beneath her uniform jacket. Another she carefully placed at the small of her back before tucking the smallest pistol snugly into her left boot. </p><p>Confident in the rest of her team, she glanced over to them when she finished, only to find Edward waiting impatiently and his brother Alphonse more anxious than a expressionless armor implied. </p><p>Havoc stood at his desk preparing his weapons in a similar fashion while the other men busied themselves elsewhere in the office. His usual playful humor disappeared, replaced by a focus only seen during missions. </p><p>On the far side of the room Fuery packed the bulky communication equipment for transportation. Wires upon wires connected to headsets and two thick, boxy transceivers. </p><p>“Can I help?” Al offered. “It looks very heavy.” </p><p>The sergeant shook his head. “Thanks Alphonse, but I’ve got to record all the equipment we’re taking. If you want, you can help me carry it down to the car when we leave. It’s pretty heavy,” he admitted, grateful for assistance.   </p><p>Falman sat at his desk, diligently writing reports as if he were unaware of the rest of the room’s impending mission. </p><p>The Colonel’s inner office door stood wide open revealing the last two members of the team inside. Bright light from the window silhouetted Breda and Mustang as they bent their heads together to study a map lying on the Colonel’s desk. </p><p>“It’s not complicated,” Breda summarized. “Two entrances at ground level that need to be covered. The building probably has a basement as well, which may be where the children are kept.”</p><p>Mustang’s eyes narrowed as if searching the map for secrets it didn’t want to reveal. </p><p>“But we’re dealing with an alchemist––“</p><p>“Which means nothing is predictable.” Breda finished, bouncing his knuckles against the edge of the desk in annoyance. </p><p>Depending on the rogue alchemist’s ability the basement could be an underground labyrinth with hidden doors for all they knew. Effectively covering someone that could potentially make her own exits at will was no simple task. And they knew next to nothing about the alchemist’s ability to fight.</p><p>The rescue could transform from easy to ridiculously complicated in seconds. Mustang only needed to prepare for the latter. </p><p>The Colonel nodded to Breda’s final statement before walking to the door to observe the rest of his officers. </p><p>His deep baritone voice called for attention. “Are you ready?”</p><p>Five crisp voices responded, “Yes sir!”</p><p>Mustang’s piercing black eyes turned toward his youngest, shortest member looking for an answer as well. “Fullmetal?”</p><p>Ed stared at him hoping the look conveyed the appropriate amount of annoyance. </p><p>Mustang ignored him in favor of beginning the final debriefing. </p><p>“As you are aware,” he began, “we are about to investigate a case involving minors. Regardless of what we find, or what condition these children are in, we act with the professionalism of military officers. Put your emotions aside until the mission is complete. Our goal is to apprehend the suspect and take custody of any child on the property. We do this according to standard search, seizure, and arrest procedure. The suspect cannot be released on a technicality.”</p><p>Ed shifted uncomfortably. No way could he push his emotions aside when some asshole hurt children. He didn’t think beating the jerk’s head in counted as “standard procedure.” As far as the teenager was concerned, sometimes it couldn’t be helped when jackasses used alchemy to hurt other people. </p><p>Mustang continued. “Reports filed to local military police claimed two witnesses saw the flash of alchemic light and heard children screaming from a property half an hour outside East City. That property is owned by Doris Woodmore, a known alchemist. She lives with no family or children of her own. Concerned neighbors admitted to seeing her move several youths into her vehicle under the cover a night as well. </p><p>“The area is already known for having a high missing person’s rate in the past year, though no children have been reported kidnapped. We are acting under the belief this case deals with illegal biological alchemy or human trafficking, possibly both.” </p><p>Fuery and Breda paled with the announcement, but remained at attention. Hawkeye clenched her jaw. Underneath her mask of professionalism her emotions vanished into stoicism before she allowed herself to be furious on the victim’s behalf. </p><p>“Unfortunately we are unaware of more details. We have no idea how many children are on the property or how many have passed through. It’s our job to arrest the suspect and rescue any minor before collecting evidence.” </p><p>“When we arrive Hawkeye and I will enter through the front of the property. Havoc through the back.” Mustang met the eyes of both his weapons specialists. “We have no idea how dangerous the suspect is. Use caution, a bullet to prevent any transmutation. Avoid lethal force, no one can answer for their crimes if they’re dead.”</p><p>They nodded sharply. </p><p>Mustang turned to acknowledge the rest of his staff. “Breda, stay at the perimeter. Don’t let this woman leave the property. Fuery will be stationed with the vehicle outside, ready to communicate details of the operation to Falman here at headquarters and ready to bring in medical assistance waiting on standby.” </p><p>Mustang finally addressed Alphonse. The younger Elric, though a suit of armor, waited patiently in the office all morning, quiet and helpful. Unlike his brother.  </p><p>“Alphonse, as you know you are not required to join us. But you can come along at your own risk. Fullmetal will stay outside like Breda to secure the perimeter and relay information to Fuery. If all goes to plan, alchemy won’t be necessary, but you are permitted to stop the suspect in any way. The suspect” Mustang emphasized turning toward Ed, “is to remain unharmed. Do you understand Fullmetal?”</p><p>The seriousness in Mustang’s dark eyes made him an entirely different person than the man who teased Ed obnoxiously. The Elric brothers hadn’t seen the Colonel as a commander often. </p><p>Ed grimaced. “Got it.” Maybe he could still get one hit in on the hag and call it an accident. <em> Oops, the nerves in my automail glitched. I had no control over it Colonel, honest. </em></p><p>“We are taking two vehicles. In ten minutes we move out. Dismissed.”</p><p>The five officers saluted sharply. Ed walked away. Alphonse helped Fuery carry one of the two boxes of radio equipment down to the parking lot.</p><p>Empty handed, Ed followed. </p><p>“We’re going to help them, Brother.” Al said reassuringly. </p><p> “Of course we will!” Ed exclaimed. “I just think we should have done it by now is all.” He kicked at the loose crumbling concrete. “Why are they taking so long? Those kids are waiting for us.”</p><p>Before long the rest of the team joined them outside beside the two nondescript military vehicles: a white van, and the other a large car. Hawkeye smiled at the brothers quickly before entering the passenger seat of the car, but it didn’t feel genuine. Edward couldn’t blame her. The first lieutenant had a big heart beneath her military blues. Like all of them she worried about those kids.</p><p>Mustang climbed in the driver’s seat beside her, not sparing a glance back toward Al, Ed, or the rest of his team. The car’s engine rumbled to life instantly. Havoc gestured for the two boys to climb in the back of Mustang’s car before climbing into the passenger seat of the van himself. </p><p>Breda drove the second vehicle. In the back Fuery connected all his radio equipment.</p><p>Fifteen agonizingly slow minutes later they exited Central’s downtown. Neither officer in the front seats spoke. It wasn’t an uncharacteristic silence. Hawkeye rarely spoke and often chose her words carefully. Loud mouthed as he could be, Mustang was nothing but dedicated to his job, a professional ladder climber when it came to military rank. </p><p>Al sat still beside him and Ed didn’t much feel like breaking the silence, not even to call out Mustang’s shoddy driving. Half an hour outside the city’s limits the colonel parked the car along a lazy suburb street filled with small single story houses all the same shape and size.  </p><p>“We get out here and walk,” he explained. All four threw the doors open and exited. Breda’s vehicle rolled up moments later.</p><p>The group split again. Al followed Havoc and Breda to the back of the house while Ed stayed with his superiors at the front. </p><p>Two streets later Hawkeye met Ed’s eye, nodding and pointing to their target’s house. Nothing about it looked like an evil alchemist lived inside. “This is it. Wait here,” she ordered quietly.</p><p>He nodded but clenched his metal fist of frustration. He wanted to join in the take down, but Mustang’s initial assessment in the office was correct. The team needed alchemists like him and Al on the outside in case the arrest sour. Loath as he was to admit it, the bastard was right. (Not that he’s ever say it out loud.)</p><p>But after the alchemist lady was captured, no one, not Teacher or the Fuhrer himself, could stop Edward from running in to help the kids. </p><p>At the doorstep Mustang pulled his gloves tight over his wrist, meeting his lieutenant’s eye. She nodded, face set with grim determination and raised her gun ever so slightly. Safety off. She watched as Mustang counted down with his fingers. </p><p>Three, two, one —</p><p>The colonel tested the doorknob, twisting it quietly. Finding it unlocked, he threw the door wide. It banged against the wall as he barged in like a pompous ass, hand held up ready to snap if at danger. Hawkeye followed close at his heels scanning the interior for threats.</p><p>Outside, Ed waited as instructed. He bounced from foot to foot trying to ignore a nagging feeling in his gut. He started reciting the atomic number of alkali metals to calm himself. <em> Lithium 3, Sodium 11... </em> If only Al was with him. <em> Potassium 19. </em>He didn’t like being separated like this; they worked much better as a team. </p><p>But Al wasn’t here. And instinct told him something felt wrong. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as Ed felt a surge of alchemical energy from inside the house. A big surge. </p><p>Yet the building looked untouched, not burning into a blazing inferno. </p><p>Ed’s eyes widened with recognition. That wasn’t the colonel’s alchemy. It must have been ––</p><p>Ed sprinted toward the house, boots thundering with each step as he made a beeline for the open door. </p><p><em> Please be wrong, </em> he begged. <em> Please be wrong. </em></p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>A flash of movement caught the periphery of the Colonel’s eye. Without hesitating he turned and charged toward it. Hawkeye followed. In the modest kitchen stood a middle age woman, their suspect Doris Woodmore. Hawkeye leveled her gun, arms still and steady.  </p><p>The woman froze.</p><p>“I am Colonel Roy Mustang, state alchemist with the Amestrian military.” Mustang announced calmly. “We are here to arrest you and confiscate any illegal alchemical research.” </p><p>At the mention of alchemy, she seemed to come back to her senses. “You can’t do that! You can’t take my research,” the woman yelled, backing away defensively. “It’s mine! You can’t have it!” Her wide eyes darted between the military officers in disbelief. Back and forth between Hawkeye’s gun and the bright red transmutation circle on the colonel’s glove. Her mouth opened repeatedly to protest, like a fish gasping for air. Panicking. </p><p>She looked ready to bolt from the room, through the doorway on the other side of the room. Mustang kept his fingers pinched, ready to incapacitate. His eyes narrowed. “Doris Woodmore, you are under arrest. Put your hands above your head.”</p><p>“No. No!” </p><p>Ignoring the order, the woman’s disbelief turned to anger as her mouth stilled, eyes narrowed. She stopped on the archway between rooms, visibly flustered, but no real threat. “You can’t have my research. This is my house! Get out of my house! Get out!”</p><p>The two officers moved into the middle of the kitchen, closer to the unarmed woman. Hawkeye took her position to Mustang’s left, a movement that came as natural to her as breathing.  </p><p>“Put your hands up where we can see them!” Mustang roared. “Or we will use force!”</p><p>The woman dropped to the floor immediately. Too quickly, Mustang realized, seeing the faint lines of a transmutation circle carved into the kitchen’s wooden floor –– the very floor he and Hawkeye stood on. The colonel and lieutenant reacted, but it was too late. </p><p>Three things happened at the same time. </p><p>Flashes of blue lighting sparked and arched across the floor. </p><p>Mustang snapped. </p><p>Hawkeye fired her gun.</p><p>Bright orange flames exploded where Doris Woodmore knelt at the edge of the hidden circle. She screamed, shrieking in pain. The flames disappeared instantly, leaving behind a thick cloud of smoke, obscuring Mustang’s view. The deafening sound barely registered over the familiar crackle of alchemic energy.</p><p>It only grew more intense. “Sir!” Hawkeye tried to shout and reach toward him, but the smoke stole her breath. Electricity raced over her limbs locking them in place, rattling through her bones, and shaking her teeth. The transmutation ripped through her body. She couldn’t move, couldn’t step out of the circle. Couldn’t see the colonel. </p><p>Hawkeye fell to her knees unable to scream in pain. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Ed heard a gun fire as he threw open the front door. A woman screamed. He transmuted his metal arm into a blade, prepared to fight. A burning scent filled his nose as he ran through the house –– evidence of Mustang’s work. But the alchemical energy Ed felt outside was larger than some charred furniture. Edward followed the scent and raced into the kitchen, stopping in front of the cloud of billowing smoke and fading transmutation sparks. <em> What the hell happened? </em></p><p>The woman continued to scream hysterically. </p><p>“Shut up,” Havoc barked behind the smoke. He must have ran through the back of the house after hearing the gunshot. The female alchemist didn’t stop, forcing the second lieutenant to shout over her. “Colonel? Hawkeye? Subject in custody, injured but alive, what’s your status?”</p><p>Neither answered. </p><p>The hair on Edward’s arm rose in fear. Something wasn’t right. Why weren’t they saying anything? The bastard, loud and brash always had to have the last word.  </p><p>“I said, shut up! Colonel, Hawkeye –– status?” Havoc yelled from the other side of the room. Silence answered them again. Havoc swore.</p><p>“You got her?” Ed yelled, trying not to cough as the smoke filled his lungs. </p><p>“Yes, Fullmetal? What’s happening on your end?” </p><p>“I can’t see anything; it’s too dark.” Ed shouted, not daring to wade further into the room.</p><p>Havoc swore again. It occurred to Edward somewhere in the back of his brain that without Mustang he was now the highest rank in the room and should be giving Havoc commands. </p><p>Rank be damned, Havoc’s years of experience kicked in. Luckily he was as good at giving orders as he was at taking them. “Fullmetal, break a wall, get some air to clean out the room. We can’t see shit until the smoke’s gone.”</p><p>Ed groped toward the nearest wall, clapped his hands and felt the plaster crumble, raining dustings of drywall on his boots. Clean air rushed past his face, diluting the remains of Mustang’s alchemy into a slowly thinning haze. He coughed and tried to wave the dust and smoke away.</p><p>“Stay there.” Havoc ordered. “We can’t see the circle, it’s not safe to enter yet.”</p><p>At thirteen years old, Ed was considered a true teenager. He ignored the order, tiptoeing along the edges of the room. Setting off the transmutation circle again was unlikely, but not a risk he wanted to take.</p><p>Havoc’s lanky form emerged from the dissipating smoke as Ed approached. He stood beside the sniveling rogue alchemist. She looked pathetic, handcuffed and laying on the floor moaning in pain. She had clearly taken the brunt of Mustang’s blast. Ed winced at the sight of her burnt, blistering face and arms. </p><p>Havoc turned his attention to Doris Woodmore. “What happened to them? What did you do?” </p><p>Whimpering, she ignored him.</p><p>“What did the transmutation do?” he demanded.</p><p>Clanking footsteps of an armored suit rushed behind them, followed by Breda’s heavier ones.</p><p>“Brother! We rescued two kids that were in the house ... what’s happening here?”</p><p>Breda clarified to his fellow officer. “Both children are secure with Fuery, scared but unharmed. What’s your status here?” </p><p>“We don’t know yet, stay back,” Havoc warned. “It seems like the colonel and lieutenant fought and were caught in a transmutation. They haven’t responded yet. We’re waiting for the smoke to clear, when Fullmetal says it’s safe to enter the circle. </p><p>The thickest of black smoke cleared already, leaving behind a gray fog-like mist through the remaining kitchen. </p><p>Something lay in the center, obscured but still visible. The four watched in horror, expecting the worst-case scenarios. Dead officers. The disgusting mutilated remains of Mustang and Hawkeye. </p><p>They listened to the rustling of fabric. Something moved at the center of the transmutation circle.  </p><p>Breda saw it first. “Holy shit.” </p><p>Edward recognized it too, but couldn’t believe his eyes. The figure was short, too small to be either Mustang or Hawkeye. At the center of the transmutation circle stood a child swimming in a royal blue military uniform. The boy dirty, smeared in ash stared at them, dark slanted eyes confused. He stood still like a wild animal, too afraid to move.</p><p>A small ragged blonde head emerged from a second uniform lying on the floor. Equally filthy, her wide red eyes darted from Ed, Al, Havoc and Breda in terror. </p><p>Edward didn’t know if Breda or Havoc said it, but he was thinking the same thing. “Fuck.”</p>
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